The term “handgun” relates to pistols, e.g., blowback operated weapons, or gas operated weapons, guns, and the like. The invention will be described by means of the example of a handgun, although the present invention is not limited to the latter and might be implemented in long guns just as well.
It is known to equip firearms with accessories or to attach accessories to firearms. For example, it is known to arrange a tactical light, a laser sight, or a camera on the firearm, for example, a pistol.
A merchantable pistol with a tactical light arranged thereon is shown in FIG. 1. A pistol with a camera arranged thereon is known, for example, from US 2011/0035984 A1. With respect to the pistol shown in FIG. 1, the tactical light 50 is arranged at the underside of the barrel 5 of the pistol. In the following, “barrel” is intended to designate the entire front portion of the gun, namely, the actual gun barrel forming the barrel bore together with the breechblock and the front portion of the grip piece of the weapon. Instead of the tactical light shown in FIG. 1, also a laser sight may be arranged at the underside of the barrel 5.
Such systems known from prior art, however, are disadvantageous in that only one accessory means can be arranged at the underside of the barrel. For example, only the tactical light or only the laser sight may be arranged there. In order to fix other accessory means to the underside of the barrel, at first, the accessory means already attached there has to be removed.
Moreover, there is the additional disadvantage with respect to the attachment of a laser sight that the optical central axis of the laser sight is relatively remote from the bore axis of the barrel bore. This large distance between the two axes has a negative impact on the target accuracy at different firing ranges. Therefore, it is provided for configuring the optical center axis of a laser sight adjustably in order to be able to set the angle between the optical center axis of a laser sight and the bore axis of the barrel bore depending on the distance to the targeted object, as described, for example, in US 2012/0180366 A1.
A further disadvantage is that a close-contact shot mostly is not possible because the tactical light or laser sight arranged at the weapon in many cases protrudes beyond the front end of the barrel, as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 1.
For a camera arranged at the underside of the bearable, as shown in US 2011/0035984 A1, the angle between the optical axis of the camera and the axis of the barrel bore is irrelevant. Here, it is only important that the camera is directed to the front.
From U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,061 B1, also, a firearm with a tactical light arranged thereon is known. The tactical light is accommodated within a housing fixed to the underside of the barrel. Further, a laser arrangement is accommodated within the housing. The entire housing is arranged below the barrel such that the tactical light as well as the laser arrangement is disposed completely below the barrel.
From US 2012/0180366 A1, a camera laser system is known, which is accommodated within a housing, wherein the housing may be fixed to the barrel of a weapon. The camera and the laser, hereby, are disposed above the barrel such that the shooter is able to aim at the target by means of the laser. However, here, the distance between the camera and the barrel always has to be taken into account in order to be able to correctly adjust the laser, because the camera and the laser are relatively remote from the center axis of the barrel.
From U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,090 B1, a so-called “strike plate” is known, which may be attached to the weapon. The “strike plate” should ensure that the barrel and/or the slide of a weapon return into the starting position, in which the weapon is ready for use for the next shot again after firing a bullet. The “strike plate” is fixed to the mounting rail of the weapon and extends beyond the barrel of the weapon, wherein a concentric hole is provided in the portion in front of the barrel through which the fired bullet may pass. At the underside of the “strike plate”, there is provided a further mounting rail, on which further accessories may be arranged.
From US 2012/0124885 A1, a light system is known, which is fixable to the underside of the barrel of a weapon. It substantially corresponds to the systems known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,061 B1. Also here, the optical axis of the light system is relatively remote from the center axis of the barrel bore such that, when using a laser sight in the light system, the angle of the laser also has to be set depending on the distance to the object.
A system similar to the system known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,061 B1 is known from US 2008/0120891 A1. Here, the system, which may comprise a laser light is attached to the underside of the barrel, wherein the optical axis of the laser light is disposed below the mounting rail of the barrel. The large distance between the center axis of the barrel bore and the optical axis of the laser light resulting from this also here requires that the angle of the laser light has to be set, if needed.